Recap: Balanced Play Leads Thunder

By Paris Lawson | Broadcast and Digital Reporter | okcthunder.com

Box Score: OKC 130, SAS 114

Before Tuesday’s game, the Thunder’s homestand consisted exclusively of clutch games that were decided by two possessions or less – OKC’s matchup against the Spurs was a different story. OKC poured in 70 points in the first half, shot above 50 percent from the field and the 3-point line to walk away with a 130-114 win in its homestand finale. 

All 11 players who played for the Thunder scored and the Thunder bench recorded a season high 68 points marking the second most points in Thunder history. It took a balanced, full team effort to complete the one-sided win inside Paycom Center.  

The last time the Thunder faced the Spurs, the team fell behind by as many as 20 points and heading into Tuesday night’s game the Thunder’s biggest focus was getting out to a stronger start. After the first 12 minutes of action the Thunder led 38-33 and it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who led the offense with 12 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. With that effort, Gilgeous-Alexander logged his eighth game out of the last 14 with 10 or more points in an opening quarter. By the end of the night, SGA registered a game-high 28 points to go alongside a career-high tying four blocks for the night. 

Mike Muscala has been the model of readiness and professionalism for the Thunder all season long. When Aleksej Pokuševski went down with a leg injury in the first quarter, it was next man up for the Thunder bigs. Muscala stepped up and poured in 14 points in a matter of 10 minutes. The veteran went 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from the field over the first half and by the end of the game, the big man racked up 19 points to contribute to the Thunder’s overall 68 bench points which marks the second most in OKC history.

The Thunder’s ball movement has generated high quality looks throughout the night. By the end of the third quarter, OKC racked up 18 assists and every single player who stepped onto the floor scored at least three points. The ball movement and the balanced contributions have been staples for the Thunder’s offense all season long and have allowed the team to maintain a lead despite the Spurs making their 33-25 run in the third frame. 

Jalen Williams cut hard off a screen toward the rim. There was still a San Antonio defender in front of him, but it was still enough daylight for Josh Giddey to zip a pass into Williams’ hands. On the catch, J-Dub was wide open for a layup at the rim and Giddey added to his seven point, eight assist, and seven rebound stat line. The 6-foot-8 guard has registered a 5-5-5 stat line in half of his games in his career. 

There was a loose ball on the floor after an errant pass from San Antonio. As the ball rolled into the backcourt, rookie Jalen Williams dove to the floor, sacrificing his body to keep the play alive. He tipped the ball toward the Thunder basket where Tre Mann stood wide open for an uncontested layup. Those hustle plays were prevalent throughout the entire night for the Thunder. 

“I thought everybody brought good focus and consistency throughout the 48-minute game. We got off to a good start. Obviously they made some runs there, but we just stuck with it, kept encouraging each other and came up with a win. It was a fun game.” - Mike Muscala on the full-team effort

“Just trying to be the aggressors. Play with pace and play together and try to make the right decision from the get as soon as the ball tipped.” - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the strong start 

With the Thunder’s seven-game homestand in the books, the team will have a travel day to Charlotte, where it will take on the Hornets on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT. Following the one-game trip, the Thunder will return to OKC for its annual New Years’ Eve home game.